FAA Orders Merit-Based Hiring at Airlines

Carriers could face a federal investigation if they do not comply.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Flight deck of an Airbus aircraft [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has mandated that commercial airlines adopt "merit-based hiring" for pilots, focusing solely on experience and technical aptitude, effective 30 days from February 13.
This directive is framed as a reversal of Biden-era policies and an effort to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, despite the FAA not elaborating on "allegations" of non-merit-based hiring.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) affirmed that all its members already meet the same uncompromising training and qualification standards, emphasizing that a pilot's identity has no bearing on their ability to safely operate an aircraft.

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In what it framed as a reversal of Biden-era policies, the FAA on Friday said it will require commercial airlines to commit to “merit-based hiring” for pilots.

The directive comes in the form of an “operations specification.” To comply, Part 121 carriers must certify that their hiring process for pilots is exclusively based on merit, as demonstrated by experience, technical aptitude, and other factors. The operations specification takes effect 30 days from February 13.